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Beginning​ in December of 2016, I repeatedly implored my fellow members of City Council to clearly state that our city cooperates with Federal authorities. The issue arose because with the election of the new US President, many people feel that we will begin to honestly enforce our Country's immigration laws. Honest enforcement the Country's immigration laws would be big change. For nearly three decades honest enforcement has not happened.

Honest enforcement of US immigration law requires the participation of all levels of government: state, county and local. Several local governments have openly stated that they will not cooperate with Federal officials when it comes to immigration enforcement. Some cities have declared themselves a Sanctuary City, meaning they will not cooperate. Currently a member of the Colorado Legislature is sponsoring a bill that would make Colorado a Sanctuary State.

This defiance of Federal Law is wrong. Moreover, every elected official has freely taken a pledge to enforce all US laws. The arrogant acts of Governor George Wallace openly rejecting Federal Civil Rights Law by blocking African-Americans from entering the University of Alabama has re-emerged as Sanctuary City. It is as if we have learned nothing from American History.

In the City statement about being a welcoming community I asked my colleagues to proactively include a sentence saying that Westminster cooperates with Federal authorities. They refused. They instead let an anonymous, ambiguous, fuzzy statement that can be interpreted in different ways, be published. Ever since I have sought to convince my colleagues to change their minds.

I repeatedly requested they engage in dialogue with me, but they have ignored my requests. I spoke to them in my comments during our December 12, 2016 meeting. I again spoke on December 19, 2016. I again spoke on January 9, 2017. Their refusal to engage in discussion with their fellow elected representative of the people of Westminster is arrogant and foolish. Their conduct betrays our City's values of inclusive, open, transparent government.